A member of the House of Representatives representing Kaduna North Federal Constituency, Bello El-Rufai, has publicly apologised to former President Goodluck Jonathan for his past criticisms of his administration, acknowledging that his previous views were shaped by youthful inexperience.

El-Rufai, son of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, made the apology during an appearance on Channels Television?s Politics Today on Thursday.

He said he had come to a new understanding of Jonathan?s leadership after observing his father?s recent efforts to consult with the former president.

?And he said he was going to see President Jonathan, and I paused because when I was na?ve or when I thought ego or gratification mattered, I used to be very active in criticising President Jonathan,? El-Rufai said.

?I even forgot in my naivety, as many young people do, that we had governance then. And I found my father saying that he is going to consult President

Jonathan. I said, ?please when you see him, tell him I am very sorry, I am wiser now?,? he added.

He praised Jonathan for conceding defeat in the 2015 presidential election, describing it as a rare act of statesmanship in African politics.

?The system is a problem. Now, why did I mention President Jonathan? It takes a lot, particularly in Africa, to lose an election and leave?he did that,? El-Rufai said.

Nasir El-Rufai, a former minister and prominent member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was a key figure in the political coalition that led to the defeat of Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2015 general elections. (The Guardian)

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